Wheat-cleaning mechanism.



N0. 702,2!2. Patented June 10,1902. J. HIGGINBUTTOM. WHEAT CLEANINGMECHANISM.

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No. 702,212. Patented lune I0, I902.

J. HIGGINBDTTOM.

WHEAT CLEANING MECHANISM.

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UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

WHEAT-CLEANING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 702,212, dated J une10, 1902.

Application filed December 30,1897. Serial No. 664,702. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWheat-Oleaning-Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements are intended to be applied to machines for the purposeof separatiug stones and the like from wheat by means of currents ofwater; also, for washing and scouring mud and dirt from wheat whileimmersed in water-and for rinsing and for draining the wheat. 1

The invention is illustrated-by the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a vertical section; Fig. 2, a plan of my machine. Figs. 3and 4 are enlarged Views of rinsing-jets, and Figs. 5 and 6 similarviews of heaters.

In carrying out my invention I form an upper Water-chamber A, having oneor more of its sides or walls formed with perforations for the passageof water, and I also form a lower water-chamber B, from which waterpasses through the said perforations into the upper water-chamber. Thewater is supplied to the lower water-chamber by the pipe B. I place oneor more hanging valves 0 between the upper and lower water-chambers andbelow the grain-admission pipe, and I balance the valve or valves bymeans ofweight D in such manner that any stones or heavy material whichbecome deposited in the upper chamber are permitted to fallautomatically into the lower chamber by means of the said balancedvalves. In some cases I make the valve or valves with perforations ofsufficiently small size to prevent the passage of wheat, so that thewater from the lower chamber may also flow through the perforated valveor valves into the upper water-chamber. The mode of operation of thispart of my invention is as follows: A stream of water is passed into andthrough the lower water-chamber and from thence through the perforatedwalls or sides or valves into the upper chamber also. Such Waterthenpasses in a stream over a sill or lip E, arranged at the top of thehopper-shaped bottom of the upper waterchamber A--that is, at the sideof chamber Aor through an aperture in the walls of the upperwater-chamber into the second portion of the apparatus, where thesoftening of mud and the scouring and washingof the Wheat are performedin an annular washing-chamber F. The wheat containing stones and mud isfed by spout G into the stream of water flowing through the upperWater-chamber A. The stones by means of gravity sink to the bottom ofthe upper chamber and are automatically discharged therefrom by thebalanced hanging valves into the lower waterchamber B. The stones whichpass into the lower water-chamber are removed automatically therefrom bymeans of an elevator or worm or screw, (not shown,) as is'wellunderstood by millers. The wheat and the mud are carried by the currentof water over the sill or through the aperture, as above described, intothe second portion of the machine.

The second portion of the machine is con-' structed with a verticalstationary perforated cylinder H, having revolving heaters I in itsinterior, with flights set at an angle for the purpose of causing thewheat being treated to become scoured and washed and to rise in side thecylinder from the bottom to the top and to be discharged therefromthrough an aperture in the top of the cylinder. Such beaters are set outin detail in Figs. 5 and 6. I make such stationary cylinder with eitherparallel or conical sides. I also make the lower portion H of thecylinder H impervious, and it may have ribs or corrugations J on itsinterior surface. The upper portion H of the cylinder is formed of wovengauze or perforated metal. I make one or more apertures K in theperforated cylinder above the lower impervious part for the admission ofjets of water to the interior of thecylinder for the purpose of rinsingthe washed and secured and uprising wheat with clean water. These jetsare shown on a larger scale in Figs. 3 and 4, in which Mis a half-inchpipe.

.111 some cases I may introduce clean water through the shaft L, whichin such cases would be made hollow and fitted with tubes to form jets byrinsing in the interior of the machine. I use the perforated portion ofthe cylinder above the rinsing-jet apertures for the purpose of drainingthe wheat by means of the centrifugal force imparted to the uprisingwheat by the revolving heaters and flights. In some cases I may usethese rinsing-jets upon a washing-cylinder in which the wheat isdescending instead of uprising.

The action of the second part of the apparatus is as follows: The wheat,mud, and water enter F at the lower impervious part H of the cylinderand are driven by the revolving heaters and flights I around theinterior of the cylinder. Thereby the mud becomes softened, broken up,and dissolved in the Water. The wheat and the muddy water rise up theinterior of the cylinder until they reach the perforationsin thecylinder. The muddy water then passes through the perforations. Thewheat continues to rise, and as it is passing the jets K of clean Waterit becomes rinsed. Also I form the impervious portion H of the cylinderwith an interior flange or rim L to prevent the water and wheat fromflowing out at the center of the cylinder.

The water adhering to the wheat after passing the water-jets is drainedoff by centrifugal force through the perforations in the up- I per partof the cylinder, the heaters traveling at a speed of about two thousandfive hundred feet a minute.

'I declare that what I claim is 1. In a grain-scouring machinethecombination of the upper water-chamber A, having a perforatedhopper-shaped bottom, and an aperture at its side, the lowerwater-chamber B, pipe B for admission of water under pressure to chamberB, the grain-admission pipe G at top of chamber A, and weighted valve 0at the lower part of chamber A, whereby the grain, mud and stones arecaused to fall through the water to the bottom of chamber A where mudand stones are automatically delivered through the weighted valve to thechamber B, while the grain flows with the water over the aperture at theside of chamber A.

2. The combination with a stoning device, of a vertical cylinder H andH, the lower portion H being imperforate, the upper portion H beingperforate, heaters I, all set at an angle, adapted to rotate at highspeed within this cylinder, and jet-pipes K placed in the perforateportion of the cylinder, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM.

\Vitnesses: V

W. H. BELSTON,

J. MCLACHLAN.

